The invention relates generally to farriering and specifically to horseshoes.
In the art of farriering, problems have been experienced in the past in shoeing large-footed gaming horses for instances in which the positioning of the horses' feet is critical. It is highly desirable to fit such horses in shoes that are comfortable, lightweight, and durable. In the past these multiple requirements were viewed as mutually exclusive and the advantageous aspects of one type of shoe were forsaken in order to realize the advantages of another type.
Aluminum shoes, for example, have been used to provide a lightweight horseshoe. Aluminum, however, does not have good wear qualities and aluminum shoes in the past have not been sufficiently durable for general use upon horses. Previous attempts have been made to strengthen the aluminum shoe and to improve its wear quality by casting steel inserts in the aluminum. These attempts have not been totally successful however. The steel inserts were not cast sufficiently close to the front edge of the toe and the shoes had a tendency to roll over at that location. When the shoe rolls over, the horse breaks its running action prematurely; and the shoe is not suitable for many purposes.
It is also known in the art to provide a groove or a crease in a portion of the ground side of a horseshoe. This groove, which is commonly referred to in the art as a swedge, most generally had a V-shape and was cast into the shoe. Holes were conventionally drilled in swedges and used for nails whose heads were contained in the swedge. In the prior art, the swedges function as countersinks for the nail heads.
Applicant has discovered a new and novel horseshoe which is most advantageously used upon gaming horses. The shoe eliminates many of the problems of the prior art, providing a lightweight, durable and highly flexible horseshoe for a farrier.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a horseshoe which is lightweight and sufficiently durable for general use upon horses.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a horseshoe with a continuous groove on the earth side of the shoe with a swedge of a novel contour.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a swedge which is self-locking for nails of the type generally used to secure a horseshoe to the foot of a horse.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an aluminum horseshoe with an insert which is critically positioned with respect to the outer arcuate surface of the shoe.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an aluminum horseshoe with a critically located steel insert.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an aluminum horseshoe with a critically located insert formed of urethane.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a combination wear plate and toe clip which serves as an accessary for a horseshoe and which provides a forward mechanical extension of a horse's hoof.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.